New England Patriots offensive lineman Dan Connolly captained a Super Bowl winning team this past season. And now, he's decided to call it career, announcing his retirement at age 32 while speaking with ESPN.com.

"It's important to me to leave the game healthy," Connolly told ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "I'm able to be here for my kids and walk away on my own terms. I feel like I got everything I could out of football in playing 10 years, winning a Spuer Bowl, and playing alongside some truly great players."

As noted by Yahoo Sports, Connolly was diagnosed with five concussions in his career, including four in eight seasons. The 6'4", 311-pound veteran originally played for the Jacksonville Jaguars after going undrafted as a player from Southeast Missouri State. He joined the Patriots in 2007 and eventually worked his way into a starting spot and two trips to the Super Bowl.

The report also points out that the end of his $9.75 million contract he signed following their 2011 Super Bowl loss, made the decision easier to come by.

"It definitely played a part in it; it helped me sleep better," Connolly said. "I'm more at ease with the decision."

According to the ESPN.com report, Connolly and his wife Lori pondered playing a few more years in the league, with a number of teams expressing interest in his services, but decided they didn't want to move the family to another city. But apart from wanting to stay put, health was the biggest factor in coming up with the decision.

His most recent concussion occurred in 2014.

"The locker room friendships, I just don't know if you can get that type of connection in any job in the world; being together in training camp and hotels on the road, that close-knit bond is something I'll definitely miss," Connolly said.

"With my football career coming to a close, I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by the Kraft family and Coach [Bill] Belichick. It is an honor to have been part of such a great organization for the past eight seasons."